This is an old game, but a good one. The Humble Store is taking a different turn this time by offering a classic PC game for its limited time offer for free. X-COM: UFO Defense, otherwise known as UFO: Enemy Unknown, is the brutal strategy game about defending Earth from aliens with a strategic layer where you build bases and research technology , and a tactical layer where you guide your soldiers on the field to take out the alien menace.
Sounds familiar? This is the original game designed by Jullian Gollop in which Firaxis’s recent XCOM reboot series is based of. The reboot series started with 2012’s XCOM: Enemy Unknown and continued with XCOM 2, released last year.
The original X-COM (with a dash in the name) is a much more slower and brutal experience. You will lose soldiers constantly, the RNG will mess you up even more, but most of the design elements from the 2012 reboot can be traced back here. If you think XCOM is already hard then prepare for a history lesson.
This will certainly not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s great to see some offers from such a classic game. If you like X-COM: UFO Defense but can’t stand the outdated graphics, you might want to check out Xenonauts, an indie game that even more closely resembles the original X-COM than the rebooted XCOM.
Here’s the download link. Good luck, commander.